Not Making Rent in Burbank During the Pandemic
Max Vec, 30, is one of the many Burbank residents economically affected by the shutdown that will not be renewing their apartment lease. Vec was employed in the film industry and once everything started to shut down because of the pandemic Vec decided to buy a van and convert it to an off-grid studio apartment.
“My lease ended on Oct. 31, now I will be living in my van full time,” said Vec.
As of Oct. 31, his only bills are food, gas, cell phone and insurance. Vec said this will help him cut his spending and self-isolate while being mobile. He also hopes that being mobile will help him find more jobs.
The lack of rent control and Covid-19 are some of the reasons why Burbank residents are finding themselves having to move or struggling with a tight budget. According to research by The Legislative Analyst’s Office for California, there is a home shortage of about 55,000 homes in Los Angeles County. Burbank has experienced extraordinary job growth in the technology industry as well as the movie industry. The more jobs a city has, the more residents it will attract. This created a supply and demand problem as there are more people than homes.
After the 2008 recession, the cost of living started going up. In 2011 the median housing price was $484,000. The current median value of a home now is $826,100, according to Censusreporter.org. Rent prices have risen by 20.63% between 2011 and 2016. A one-bedroom apartment of 799 sq. ft. may cost an average of $2,431 per month.
Karen Jackson-Stride, 43, is using up her credit cards to stay afloat. Jackson-Stride lost her job due to the pandemic and said she applied for unemployment, but EDD denied her application. She had been calling day after day. They have given her a hearing date for October.
Other Burbank residents were not as lucky. Claudia Nerey, 27, said, “as self-employed individuals, we have learned to save money for rainy days. Covid-19 has left my partner and me unemployed. We do not qualify for unemployment benefits, were covering all of our bills by dipping into our savings account.”
Cassie McKenzie, 37, a CSUN alum, mother of two and paralegal employee, finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Having to cut back hours and possibly move if things continue the way they are. She is one of the many who have not had the chance to work from home. McKenzie worked 30 hours a week over five days. However, since the schools switched to a distanced learning format, she cut back to working 12 hours a week to assist her young children with online school.
“Due to Covid-19 and if things do not change for the best in six months, I’ll probably have to move back in with my (not quite an ex) husband. We separated in April 2019. His career is in finance and dependent on the economy. He will probably take an income hit this year. With my loss, too, we won’t be able to afford to keep two households afloat without destroying our savings,” said McKenzie.
Cindy Valle and her husband have also experienced the financial impact of Covid-19. Her husband lost his job when the pandemic started. Valle is still working but says they have been relying on savings and credit cards. They also do not have health coverage, so if they were to become ill, all the expenses would come out of their pockets.
Griffin Heather, 49, shares a home with her mother and son. Because of this, isolating can be difficult. “In the event, I test positive for Covid-19, I would use my savings from a canceled vacation to get a room at a hotel and avoid exposing my elderly mother.”
The bottom line is between loosing their jobs, cutting hours, and possible medical expenses Burbank residents are accruing credit card debt and draining their savings.
